Photo courtesy of foxypar4's photostream We all know First Lady Michelle Obama is on a "laudable food crusade in America -- promoting the healthful benefits of fresh, local and sustainably grown nutrition, including produce raised in the world's most famous vegetable garden: that photogenic patch of organic land on the White House South Lawn." (source)
The foods chosen by the White House occupants have been in the news again a couple of times recently. The NY Times carried a story about the pastry chef and Mrs. Obama's stipulations about sweets.
The White House Pastry Chef, Bill Yosses, said Mrs. Obama "stipulated that dessert would be a rarity, not routine, at family meals, and that portions should be scaled down." He is also in pursuit of the perfect pie crust which includes lard and not (partially hydrogenated) vegetable shortening!
However, when a writer for the Huffington Post recently contacted the White House with questions about whether their sources of eggs, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry and other meats were local, sustainable and organic, or if some/all of it was from confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's), Mrs. Obama's press secretary declined to "answer at this time".
I'm sure that would be a political sticky wicket to answer, considering the deep pockets of BigAg. Mrs. Obama is on record suggesting the elimination of processed foods and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diets. During the 2008 campaign trail, she told The New Yorker in a candid moment that her family had shifted to organic, free of pesticides, petrochemicals, antibiotics and hormones. Yet the track record of our government food regulatory agencies remains poor.
The New York Times reported that Laura Bush "insisted fresh, organic foods be served in the White House, but did not broadcast that information to the public".
... and the royal families of europe have ALWAYS!!! consumed raw milk to this day without missing a beat.... Yes, perfect pie crust, which I most of the time excel at and if not then throw it into the wall, requires lard. It is the ONLY way it is flakey.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that tidbit about the European royal families but it's not surprising. I DID know that's the only way to make a good pie crust, not that I can!
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